Kevin Gausman arrived in Chicago for a night exactly like this one. The Cubs will hand their season to the veteran right-hander on Wednesday in Game 2 of the National League Wild Card Series, needing a victory over the Padres at Petco Park after San Diego rolled to an 8-0 win in the opener.
Key takeaways
- Gausman will start Wednesday’s elimination game for the Cubs in San Diego.
- Chicago acquired the 35-year-old from Toronto at the Trade Deadline to add rotation depth and postseason experience.
- A left-shoulder injury suffered on Sept. 23 put Gausman’s availability in doubt until a bullpen session before Game 1.
- The Padres attacked Matthew Boyd early Tuesday, hitting three home runs in the series opener.
- Gausman owns a 3.83 ERA across 14 career postseason appearances, including eight starts.
Gausman gets the ball with the Cubs facing elimination
Game 2 is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET, 9 p.m. CT and 7 p.m. PT, with Peacock and NBCSN carrying the broadcast. For Chicago, the assignment goes to a pitcher brought in with October in mind.
“He has pitched in situations like this,” catcher Carson Kelly said. “We’re going to lean on him.”
The Cubs had considered Gausman for the series opener, especially after he showed signs down the stretch that he could fill that role. But his status changed when he hurt his left shoulder while diving on a tag attempt against the Marlins on Sept. 23. The soreness lingered, and as late as Sunday, after throwing from a mound, Gausman was uncertain whether he would be ready.
His bullpen work at Petco Park before Tuesday’s game provided the necessary encouragement. Gausman said the shoulder felt improved enough that starting would not compromise him, crediting Chicago’s medical and training staff for getting him back to this point.
“A few days ago, I’m not sure we would have felt this way,” Gausman said after the opener. “So that is a good sign.”
Chicago acquired Gausman from the Blue Jays because it needed a reliable rotation option, though his regular-season work with the Cubs has been uneven. In nine starts, he posted a 4.83 ERA with 57 strikeouts and 11 walks over 50 1/3 innings. Three of those outings met the quality-start standard, three included at least five earned runs, and the other three landed between those ends of the spectrum.
October experience meets a Padres lineup on the attack
Gausman’s larger body of postseason work gives the Cubs reason to believe he can handle Wednesday’s atmosphere. He has made 14 playoff appearances in his career, eight as a starter, recording a 3.83 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 56 1/3 innings.
Last season, he was part of Toronto’s run to the World Series, opening both the American League Division Series and American League Championship Series. He also started Games 2 and 6 of the Fall Classic, finishing his six playoff appearances with a 2.93 ERA.
His approach remains simple, even if the setting is not. Gausman said a pitcher tries to regard October as any other game, while acknowledging that the towels, noise and stakes make that difficult. The task, he said, is to stay present, believe in his pitches and trust the defense behind him.
He will face a Padres club that came out firing in Tuesday’s opener. San Diego swung at 10 of Boyd’s first 11 pitches in the opening inning, and Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado each hit a home run in that frame. The Padres added another homer later in the 8-0 rout.
Gausman noticed the aggression, but he does not expect to assume the Padres will use the same script again. He said a starter needs an initial plan, then must be prepared to alter it immediately if the game pushes him in another direction.
“They are playing well and swinging the bats well,” Gausman said. “They were especially aggressive tonight. Whether that carries into tomorrow, we’ll find out, and we’ll adjust as needed.”
For the Cubs, there is no easing into the series now. Gausman said the group has shown throughout the season that it can respond when pushed, and he expects that same resolve in an elimination game.
“Nothing changes,” he said. “The guys will show up ready to respond. I’m looking forward to it.”
